💡 "Speaking a second language doesn’t just help you communicate — it physically changes the structure of your brain."
When did you start learning English? Do you think starting earlier would have made a difference?
Do you ever think or dream in English? How does that feel?
Do you think bilingual people have a different personality in each language?
What advantages have you noticed from speaking more than one language in your daily life?
Do you think everyone should be required to learn a second language? Why?
An open dictionary with magnified text
An anatomical model of the human brain in selective focus — the organ that builds and maintains denser neural networks, sharper executive control, and lifelong cognitive reserve when it lives in two languages
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMmOLN5zBLY
TED-Ed — Mia Nacamulli, "The benefits of a bilingual brain" (2015, ~5 minutes).
✍️ Open Cloze — Fill in the gaps with ONE word only (from the video transcript)
Language ability is typically measured (1) _ _ _ _ _ two active parts, speaking and writing, and two passive parts, listening and reading. While a balanced bilingual has (2) _ _ _ _ _ equal abilities across the board in two languages, most bilinguals around the world know and use their languages in varying proportions. Bilinguals can be classified into three general types: compound, coordinate, and subordinate bilinguals.
As a compound bilingual, Gabriella develops two linguistic codes simultaneously, (3) _ _ _ _ _ a single set of concepts, learning both English and Spanish as she begins to process the world (4) _ _ _ _ _ her. Her teenage brother, on the other hand, might be a coordinate bilingual, working with two sets of concepts, learning English in school, while continuing to speak Spanish at home and (5) _ _ _ _ _ friends. Finally, Gabriella's parents are likely to be subordinate bilinguals who learn a secondary language by filtering it (6) _ _ _ _ _ their primary language.
Because all types of bilingual people can become fully proficient in a language regardless of accent or pronunciation, the difference may not be apparent (7) _ _ _ _ _ a casual observer. But recent advances (8) _ _ _ _ _ brain imaging technology have given neurolinguists a glimpse (9) _ _ _ _ _ how specific aspects of language learning affect the bilingual brain. Multiple studies have found that knowing two or more languages keeps the brain healthier, more complex, and more actively (10) _ _ _ _ _ .
